Cat 3, Flat Road Races, Build 2, Heart Rate Based

This plan is for Cat 3 Road racers who's target races are on Flat courses . Building on the work of the Cat 3, Flat Road Races, Build 1. This plan aims to improve your FTP making it easier to ride hard all day. It also aims to improve your maximum sprint power further by building on the work from the previous Bloc.

Sample Day 1

1:15:00

76.3TSS

FTP Over Under Intervals

This workout is designed to really test your ability to work at your Threshold.

Warm up with 20 minutes of Zone 2 riding.

Main set:

For this workout you will complete the following interval twice.

For 20 minutes ride in Zone 4, at or just below your threshold pace. Every 2 minutes do 3 seconds of Zone 5 effort, this 8 x 30 second Zone 5 efforts in total.

Recover for 5 minutes between intervals.

Cool down with 10 minutes of zone 1 riding.

Sample Day 2

1:15:00

35.8TSS

Zone 2 Endurance Ride

Endurance Ride today. The goal here is to get miles in the legs and enjoy the ride. These rides are best done with company, but non-competitive company. If the pace is too high to keep in Zone 2 drop off the back and do your own ride.

Warm up with 20minutes of lower Zone 2 riding.

Main set

Stick to Zone 2 throughout ride. Effort can be towards top end of Zone 2. For climbs effort may rise out of Zone 2 but do not try to push up the climbs, take them easy and spin the legs.

Sample Day 3

2:00:00

58.3TSS

Zone 2 Endurance Ride

Endurance Ride today. The goal here is to get miles in the legs and enjoy the ride. These rides are best done with company, but non-competitive company. If the pace is too high to keep in Zone 2 drop off the back and do your own ride.

Warm up with 20minutes of lower Zone 2 riding.

Main set

Stick to Zone 2 throughout ride. Effort can be towards top end of Zone 2. For climbs effort may rise out of Zone 2 but do not try to push up the climbs, take them easy and spin the legs.

Sample Day 4

3:30:00

163.3TSS

Weekend Group Ride

The goal for todays ride is to enjoy a ride with friends. After spending the week training hard have some time to enjoy your riding.

Only rules are no racing.

Sample Day 6

1:16:20

75.3TSS

Advanced Sprint Workout

This workout is designed to improve your sprinting power production.By targeting both aspects of sprint power separately, leg speed and strength, we can improve your absolute maximum power.

This week we will add an additional sprint to each set of intervals.

Warm up with 20 minutes of Zone 2 riding.

Main set.

First intervals set.

Complete 3 10 second sprints using an easy gear that will get your legs spinning as fast as they can go. This is a maximum sprint effort so aim to get your bike to accelerate as fast as possible.

Recover for 5 minutes between sprints.

Ride for a further 5 minutes in Zone 2.

Second Interval set:

Again perform 3 10 second sprints, accelerating the bike s hard as you can. This time use a big gear that forces you to push the pedals hard at a cadence of no more than 90 by the end of the sprint.

Recover for 5 minutes between intervals.

Cool down with 10 minutes of Zone 1 riding.

Sample Day 13

1:26:40

88.5TSS

Advanced Sprint Workout

This workout is designed to improve your sprinting power production.By targeting both aspects of sprint power separately, leg speed and strength, we can improve your absolute maximum power.

This week we will add an additional sprint to each set of intervals.

Warm up with 20 minutes of Zone 2 riding.

Main set.

First intervals set.

Complete 3 10 second sprints using an easy gear that will get your legs spinning as fast as they can go. This is a maximum sprint effort so aim to get your bike to accelerate as fast as possible.

Recover for 5 minutes between sprints.

Ride for a further 5 minutes in Zone 2.

Second Interval set:

Again perform 3 10 second sprints, accelerating the bike s hard as you can. This time use a big gear that forces you to push the pedals hard at a cadence of no more than 90 by the end of the sprint.

Recover for 5 minutes between intervals.

Cool down with 10 minutes of Zone 1 riding.

Sample Day 14

0:45:00

20.8TSS

Zone 2 Endurance Ride

Endurance Ride today. The goal here is to get miles in the legs and enjoy the ride. These rides are best done with company, but non-competitive company. If the pace is too high to keep in Zone 2 drop off the back and do your own ride.

Warm up with 20minutes of lower Zone 2 riding.

Main set

Stick to Zone 2 throughout ride. Effort can be towards top end of Zone 2. For climbs effort may rise out of Zone 2 but do not try to push up the climbs, take them easy and spin the legs.

Dan Hustwayte

Short Story
****10 years of experience in endurance performance.Master's Degree in Sport and Exercise PhysiologyPersonal TrainerCycling CoachAverage endurance athlete